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Another old timer honored...

 

http://www.gomocs.com/news/2017/3/9/wrestling-hall-of-fame-three-time-socon-champion-thornbury-joins-mocs-elite.aspx

 

Hall of Fame: Three-Time SoCon Champion Thornbury Joins Mocs Elite

 

Mar. 09, 2017 Wrestling

 

STORY LINKS

 

CLASS OF 2017The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Athletics Department recently inducted its Hall of Fame Class of 2017.  Among those honored at the Feb. 24 banquet at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club was former wrestling star Chris Thornbury (1986-89).

 

Thornbury came to UTC in the fall of 1985 and quickly made an impact on the Mocs program.  He won the Southern Conference Title at 190 pounds as a true freshman, while helping Chattanooga to its first team title in three years. 

 

He went on two win two more league trophies in his career, while the Mocs won the team championship all four years he competed.  Thornbury graduated with 101 career wins, a number that is still eighth all-time at UTC.  His 38-10 mark as a senior in 1989 is still the second most wins in a season in school history. 

 

"It was an awesome experience," stated Thornbury in a recent interview with GoMocs.com prior to the Hall of Fame Banquet.  "UTC always had a great wrestling team, but I was a pretty good high school wrestler.  However, I don't remember how long it was before I ever even got a takedown in the practice room.  We would wrestle live and I would get killed. 

 

"It was a big adjustment and it took me until about Christmas to be able to make that adjustment.  After Christmas, I got with the right workout partners and with the help of the great program Coach Reeve had in place, I was able to take off."

 

Thornbury was just 2-7 at the break that season, but working with fellow Hall of Famer Charlie Buckshaw, he was 7-10 by the time the March 1 SoCon Championships in Lexington, Va., rolled around. 

 

"Just having a good workout partner makes a huge difference," stated Thornbury.  "Someone you could count on every day to make you better, even on days when you were not feeling your best.  Charlie gave that to me every day and I would like to think I gave that back to him."

  ï¿¼SoCon Champions Mark Allison, Charlie Buckshaw, Chris Thornbury, Tom Sell and Ben Reichel.Thornbury opened the SoCon Championships with a bye in the first round.  He then defeated VMI's top-seeded Mike Northrop 3-2 in overtime in the semifinals.  In the Championship match, Thornbury posted a 12-5 decision over The Citadel's No. 2 seed Robert Wyndham.  Those wins helped the Mocs edge Appalachian State by a ½-point, 86-85.5 in the team standings. 

 

"I moved to heavyweight as a sophomore," continued Thornbury.  "My freshman year, Jeff Rufolo redshirted and he was a returning conference champion.  We had four returning conference champions and only thee weight classes, so myself, Jeff, Charlie and Mike Wallace filled those spots and battled it out."

 

"Mike was the heavyweight, but he suffered an injury.  I moved up to heavyweight to fill a void and it just worked out.  I was actually terrified about moving up to heavyweight, but it was the best thing that could have happened."

 

The Mocs hosted the SoCon Championships in 1987, and Thornybury again led UTC to an even narrower win over Appalachian State (97.75-97.50).  Buckshaw took the crown at 177, followed by Rufolo at 190 and Thornbury at heavyweight.  Ben Reichel (118) and Tom Herring (126) also won titles that season, but it was those three training partners who capped off a comeback for UTC. 

 

His junior season, Thornbry was poised for a third-straight league championships before an injury sidelined his efforts.    

 

"I thought I had some type of stress fracture in my foot, but I just kept going on and on," he explained.  "Finally, they took a culture to see because it is gutting huge. 

 

"The doctor said this is staph and you are going to have to have surgery today.  They cut me in three different places and I laid in the hospital for a week letting it drain. 

 

"I think it was 9-10 days later I tried to wrestle in the conference tournament.  I wanted to, and looking back if I had done some things different it might had worked out."

 

He returned for his senior season to post an impressive 38-10 mark.  He was ranked in the top-10 in the nation at heavyweight throughout the year and won his third SoCon title. 

 

He entered the 1989 NCAA Wrestling Championships as the No. 11 seed and had his eyes on the podium. After a bye, he opened with an overtime win against Michigan's Bob Potokar (3-2) in the second round.  He lost to third-seeded Pat McDade (8-1) of Boise State in the quarterfinals. 

 

That loss sent him to the blood round where he faced Oklahoma State's Kirk Mammen.  There he came up just six seconds short of an All-American finish.   

 

"In the match to place, I wrestled a kid from Oklahoma State," recalled Thornbury.  "The match went into overtime, and then double OT.  Then it came down to criteria and he won because he had six seconds of riding time. 

 

"The hard part of the story is that I cut him.  I let him up to try to take him down.  If I had rode him for that six seconds, maybe it would have been different."

 

Regardless of that ending, there is no question Thornbury is one of the greats to ever compete for the Mocs.  He is one of 22 former wrestlers in the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame and one of just 45 in the 87-year history of SoCon wrestling to win three league titles. 

 

His impact also continued long after graduating from UTC.  He spent 25 seasons as the head coach of Murry County (Ga.) High School and was recently honored with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Lifetime Service Award. 

 

"Something we were always taught at UTC was don't just be a taker," added Thornbury.  "Give something back to the sport.  That award is special because it means that."

 

Looking back on what is now a Hall of Fame career, Thornbury still speak fondly of his alma mater and his experiences at UTC. 

 

"UTC was the perfect fit for me," he said.  "I came from the Chattanooga area, so my family was able to come watch me while I represented the school.  That was really neat being that close by and having that support.

 

"I definitely follow the team and definitely support them.  Wrestlers are different.  When you wrestle for UTC, you are not only joining a team, you are also joining a family.  All of those guys who came before me, I feel like a part of them.  All of those guys who are after me, I feel like a part of them too.

 

"I enjoyed my time at UTC and it was such a special time in my file.  Now to have somebody say hey, you did a pretty good job, that is pretty humbling."

 

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For those of you with your wrestlers at smaller public schools here's one that started wrestling in HS around 7th grade at Scottsboro High in Alabama...

 

http://www.cornellbigred.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=42601

 

Eastern champion Brandon Womack is the No. 13 seed at 165 pounds and opens with Iowa's Joseph Gunther (18-8). The winner will face either fourth-seeded Isaac Jordan (24-4) of Wisconsin or Lorenzo De La Riva (19-11) of Cal-Bakersfield. At 31-8 on the year, Womack is tied for the team lead in victories and comes in to NCAAs after a dominating run through the EIWA bracket, surrendering just two points in four wins. He'll carry an eight-match win streak into his first nationals appearance.

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Jared will end his career in his home state of Missouri. Thank you sir, for your service to the Mocs. #ThankYouJared

2 hours ago - Twitter

 

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Carr Opens With a Win at NCAAs

 

http://www.gomocs.com/news/2017/3/16/wrestling-carr-opens-with-a-win-at-ncaas.aspx

 

Carr set to compete in consolation action on Friday.

Mar. 16, 2017 Wrestling

STORY LINKS

BRACKETS

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wresting team scored two wins on Day 1 of the NCAA Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., today. Junior Bryce Carr posted an opening round victory at 184 pounds, while sophomore Chris Debien (133) won in preliminary consolation action. Senior Jared Johnson (285) also competed at heavyweight today.

 

Carr just missed a second round upset of Oklahoma State's No. 4 seed Nolan Boyd, falling 3-2 in overtime. He is the lone Moc still alive in the consolation bracket.

 

"We believed Bryce was capable of knocking off the best guys and we were close to making it happen," stated UTC head coach Heath Eslinger. "In this tournament, you have to earn every single victory and no one is going to give you anything. He has a chance ot come back tomorrow and accomplish what he came here to do."

 

NCAA Championships – Thursday, March 16 – Scottrade Center – St. Louis, Mo.

133

First Round - No. 5 Stevan Micic (Michigan) def. Chris Debien (UTC) – 9-3 Dec.

Preliminary Consolation - Chris Debien (UTC) def. Anthony Tutolo (Kent State) - 3-2 Dec. (TB2)

 

184

First Round – No. 13 Bryce Carr (UTC) def. Samson Imonode (Army) – 4-3 Dec.

Second Round - No. 4 Nolan Boyd (OKST) def. No. 13 Bryce Carr (UTC) - 3-2 Dec. (TB2)

 

285

Conan Jennings (NW) def. No. 11 Jared Johnson (UTC) – Dec. 4-0

Jere Heino (Campbell) def. No. 11 Jared Johnson (UTC) - Dec. 5-2

 

Session I

Debien opened with a tough draw against Michigan's fifth seeded Stevan Micic. These two met once during their prep careers, with Micic earning a tech fall. Micic jumped ahead with a quick takedown, but Debien escaped before riding time built up.

 

They entered the second period with the same 2-1 score as Micic chose down. He escaped and scored another takedown late in the period. 17755

Sophomore Chris Debien.

 

Trailing 5-1 heading into the third, Debien chose down and tried to mount a comeback. He quickly escaped, but gave up another takedown and two back points before escaping as time expired.

 

Up next for Debien is Kent State's Anthony Tutolo in the preliminary consolation round this evening. These two met in the dual on Dec. 18 with Tutolo winning 6-3.

 

---

 

Carr, the 13th seed at 184 pounds, took on Samson Imonode from Army in his first match. He posted a takedown in the first period, the only one of the match for either competitor.

 

Imonode chose bottom to start the second. Carr built up 47 seconds of riding time before Imonode escaped to tie the score at 2-2.

 

Carr chose down to start the third, but quickly escaped. There were a series of stalling calls in the closing minutes of the match, resulting in penalty points for both competitors. Carr eventually won 4-3.

 

Up next for Carr is Oklahoma State's No. 4 seed Nolan Boyd. Boyd finished second at the Southern Scuffle in January. Carr was third, but these two did not face each other.

 

---

 

Johnson, the No. 11 seed at heavyweight, took on Northwestern's Conan Jennings in his first match.

 

After no score in the first period, Johnson chose down. He rode Jennings for just over a minute before getting reversed. Johnson fought off back points at the buzzer to give himself a chance in the third.

17757

Senior Jared Johnson.

Trailing 2-0, Johnson chose neutral and quickly got in on a shot. He could not finish it, but draw a stalling call on Jennings with another shot. Unfortunately, Jennings turned the table on Johnson's next shot and finished off a 4-0 win.

 

He will face a familiar foe this evening in Campbell's Jere Heino. Heino won both meetings between the two this season.

 

Session II

Debien started off in a pig-tail match in the consolation round. He faced Kent State's Anthony Tutolo who beat him 6-3 in the dual on Dec. 18.

 

There was a lot of action, but very little scoring early in this one. At the end of regulation, both had an escape and the score was locked at 1-1. The first overtime was much like the first three periods, so it went to tiebreakers.

 

Tutolo chose down and quickly escaped. Debien went on bottom in the second tiebreaker and slipped underneath for a nice reversal. He rode out Tutolo for the final 24 seconds for the win.

 

Unfortunately for Debien, his tournament ended in the next match when he was pinned in the first period by Michigan State's Austin Eicher.

 

---

 

Carr had a tall order in Oklahoma State's No. 4 Nolan Boyd in the second round. He looked up to the task throughout the match, scoring an early takedown. He fought off two from Boyd in the first period and took a 2-1 lead after the first three minutes.

 

Boyd chose down in the second and Carr rode him for 1:06 before he escaped. Carr went down in the third and looked like he had an escape on a scramble out of bounds that wasn't called. The Mocs used their only challenge of the tournament on the close action, but the review showed that Boyd kept control.

 

Boyd rode Carr out the rest of the period, sending it to overtime tied at 2-2. There was no score in the first OT and Boyd again rode Carr out in the first tiebreaker.

 

Boyd quickly escaped in the second tiebreaker for a 3-2 lead, but Carr looked like he scored the winning takedown at the buzzer. However, the Mocs could not contest the result because they were out of challenges.

 

Carr moves to 26-5 on the year and faces Rutgers Nicholas Gravina in tomorrow's consolation action. All five of Carr's losses this season have been in overtime or by a single point.

 

---

 

Johnson took on a familiar foe in the consos in Campbell's Jere Heino. Johnson won last year's meeting between the two, but Hieno won twice this year. That included a major decision in the semifinals of the Southern Conference Tournament.

 

After a scoreless first Heino chose down in the second. He quickly escaped and went up 3-0 with a takedown on a scramble. Johnson escaped, but Heino scored another takedown before the end of the period and led 5-2 heading into the third.

 

Johnson managed to escape, but Heino held him off for the 5-2 win.

 

Johnson ends his career as a three-time NCAA qualifier and already has a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He went 26-9 in 2016-17 while working on his M.B.A. Johnson finished with an 83-31 career record, just four wins shy of the top-10 all-time at UTC.

 

______________________________

 

More wrestling awareness from one of Tennessee's oldest papers...

 

http://www.heraldandtribune.com/sports/local-athletes-tackle-struggles-girls-wrestling/

 

Sports Local athletes tackle struggles in girls...

 

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By MARINA WATERS

 

Staff Writer

 

[email protected]

 

The halls of Daniel Boone High School and David Crockett High School couldn’t look more different. But as each school’s lone girl wrestler peered into her school’s trophy case, there was a similar vacancy of wrestling trophies—and they’re both looking to change that.

 

Isabella Badon is Boone’s two-time state champion girls wrestler for the 112-pound weight class and Paige Snapp is Crockett’s regional champion who placed fourth at the state tournament in the 155-pound weight class this year. Both girls have been dominant forces on the mat for the Blazers and Pioneers, but their success has also come with its own set of battles.

 

“The very first year I started, I had to shadow wrestle by myself because the boys would not practice with me,†Badon said, thinking back on her pre-high school wrestling days. “I was on an all boys team and it was me, the only girl. I had to wrestle boys at that time because with AAU it’s mixed. Then finally the coach had to force the boys to practice with me.â€

 

From there, Badon, who comes from a family of Hall of Fame wrestlers and state champions, learned not only the basics of wrestling, but also how to assess the dynamics of wrestling boys.

 

“Knowing that they’re always strong upper-body and lower-body wise, I have to know not to get in head ties,†Badon said. “Because I’m very likely to be head-thrown. And I’ve been pinned and head-thrown twice last year and I wasn’t pinned this year with that.â€

 

For Snapp, wrestling the guys on Crockett’s wrestling team is just another way for her to get better.

 

“Whenever I wrestle Mikey, he helps me work on speed. Whenever I wrestle Ryan, he helps me work on flexibility. And they’re both smaller than me. But when I wrestle the bigger guys like Justin, it helps me learn to take in shots closer because he’s really long. No matter what guy I wrestle, they always help me on different things.â€

 

“It’s different. If I wrestle a guy that’s smaller than me, he’s still going to be better than me because guys are naturally stronger and they’re built different. Their hips are different and everything and a lot of the guys can actually use their hips better than the girls can. So I would say that wrestling even the smaller guys makes you better.â€

 

Badon and Snapp—who are now both captains of their teams—only challenge the boys during practice due to the TSSAA girls wrestling rules which disqualify any girl who competes against a male wrestler in a match. But this doesn’t alleviate the struggles they face; Crockett’s head wrestling coach Tod Parker explained that many teams have girls of different weight classes from that of Snapp’s and even finding opponents can be difficult.

 

“Sometimes it gets aggravating because I want her to wrestle as many times as she can because that’s how you get better,†Parker said. “We may go three weeks and the guys wrestle every time you turn around and not have a match for her because no one has the girls. Even last year when I had two girls, it was difficult because Paige was 138 then and the other girl was 105. So it’s hard to put them against each other and either of them get any better because Paige was stronger than her obviously. So it’s difficult.â€

 

Even among their own gender, Snapp and Badon have to readjust their techniques in order to take on girls of different weight classes.

 

“It’s not easy. You’ve gotta really work for it because my freshman year, every match was really close,†Badon explained. “And I had to be very perfect in all my technique because all the girl wrestlers are stronger than me because they’re shorter and more compact. I’m pretty long and lanky. So I learned I needed to build up my muscle and be perfect on everything.â€

 

Meanwhile, Snapp not only had to assess the change she endured going from 138 pounds to 155 pounds between last year and this year, but she also has had to consider her mindset when wrestling girls that belong in lower weight classes.

 

“It wouldn’t be smart at all (to wrestle a smaller girl) because I could hurt her just landing on her leg wrong or her arm,†Snapp said. “The mindset you get into is, ‘Okay, I don’t have to be as strong. I don’t have to work as hard.’ And that’s totally wrong.â€

 

Coach Parker has had girl wrestlers during his time with the program and said that having girls on the wrestling team has made him reassess the way in which he operates as the wrestling coach—especially when it comes to weigh-ins.

 

“I don’t have any girl’s coaches on my team, so basically it’s slide the scale under the door and tell me what you weigh.†Parker said. “And I’m just hoping you tell me the truth. When we go to weigh-ins, sometimes I have to get my wife out of the stands or another woman—which isn’t an official because the official’s are all men.â€

 

Now both coaches hope to add more girls to their wrestling roster. Badon said she’s hoping to add her sister who will be an upcoming freshman to the team. Meanwhile, the Crockett coach is hoping Snapp’s hallway recruitment will encourage new faces.

 

“I’ve been taught since I was a little fella that you don’t ever ask a girl how much they weigh or how old they are,†Coach Parker said, laughing. “And I catch myself going through the hall all the time trying to recruit some more girls saying, how much do you weigh?â€

 

The athletes and coaches also want to see continued growth throughout the region for the sport. Blazer wrestling coach Blake Shropshire said he felt the community has been very supportive. That support was evident right before Bella went back to Murfreesboro to win what would be her second state title.

 

“People in this region want this region to be successful,†Shropshire said. “I thought it was really cool that this year before state, all the state placers were invited up to Tennessee High’s facility. I thought that was pretty neat.â€

 

Shropshire—who started the job at Boone the year Badon came in as a freshman—also hopes girls wrestling athletes receive recognition along with the sport.

 

“For some reason, it seems like there’s a stigma towards wrestling in this area. It’s funny, the first thing they think is like WWF jumping off top ropes and things like that,†Shropshire said. “I just wish that wrestling was more respected in the area. Like with what Bella did, that’s unreal. That’s so hard to do. Just to place twice is hard, but to win a state championship twice, that doesn’t happen.

 

It’s hard to get through a season, much less to be successful.â€

 



 

Snapp and Badon have their own goals, however. Badon has two more years of high school and Snapp still has her senior year ahead of her, but both girls have set their sights on returning to state and wrestling in college. To do so, they’re also working on the mental aspects of the sport.

 

“I need to be more aggressive,†Snapp said. “Girls don’t really like to be physical, but I’m still more aggressive than a lot of girls that walk around in the hallway. It gets frustrating because the boys can flip (their aggression on) like that, but for me it’s honestly really hard to do that. I’m aggressive, but I’m not as aggressive as they are and it literally takes me forever. My switch didn’t get flipped until regional tournament when my coach chewed me out. I got mad and started winning more. It helped me place at state. It took me all year to flip the switch. And it’s still hard.â€

 

For Badon, confidence was in her corner this season, which is something she wants to keep working on.

 

“Because I always had really close matches and the girls were always bigger than me by a lot, I was always very nerve-wracked before the matches,†Badon said, “especially my semi-finals match because I was going up against the girl that was supposed to win state. So I was like, ‘I’ve never wrestled her before. I don’t know how this is gonna go.†Right before the match I was shaking I was so scared. My dad just comes and hugs me and he’s like, ‘Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Just wrestle.’ So always before my matches now, I’ll be like, “let’s just wrestle.’â€

 

From facing boys who didn’t want to practice with them to wrestling girls of different weight classes, the wrestling captains are still working towards their goals while also spreading the word on what the sport can do for a young girl.

 

“With girls in general, when they start young, they just have to be knowing that even if they’re gonna get beat, they’ll be beat a lot,†Badon said, “but when they get to high school they’ll be able to wrestle their own gender and their own weight and have a very good chance.â€

 

“I would say it’s made me a lot tougher mentally,†Snapp said. “Because when they decide that today’s going to be the day that they’re going to try to wear you down and break you down and make you go as far as you can, mentally you have to be there. You can’t do it if you’re not mentally there. And in a match, if you want to give up, it’s going to show. And you’re going to lose. But mentally if you’re tough and you know you can do it and push yourself, you may not win the match, but you’ll still get further and you’ll still do better.â€

 

WEEKLY POLL

 

What do you think about the Jonesborough Board of Mayor and Aldermen's recent decision to discontinue the addition of fluoride to the town's drinking water?

 

JONESBOROUGH, TN

 

The Herald & Tribune was first established on August 26, 1869. Since then, it has served Jonesborough, TN and is published weekly on Wednesday.

 

The Herald & Tribune

702 W. Jackson Blvd.

Jonesborough, TN 37659

Edited by Sommers
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Complete and Superb Flo coverage in St. Louis....

 

+ Carr gets some Flo Respect as red shirt freshman dark horse...

 

http://www.flowrestling.org/article/53186-gabe-dean-is-galactus-184-pound-ncaa-preview

 

Gabe Dean Is Galactus: 184-Pound NCAA Preview

 

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Photo: Tony Rotundo

 

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Mar 14, 2017

 

Andrew Spey

 

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Now that we have our sweet, sweet brackets for the NCAA Wrestling Championships, it's time to take a closer look at the weight classes. We're doing a deep dive into each division, rolling out previews one at a time, so you can pour over and digest everything before the first whistle in St. Louis on March 16.

 

We continue our run through the weight divisions now with a deep dive into 184.

 

Gabe Dean, devourer of planets, destroyer of galaxies, dispatcher of opponents with extreme prejudice. The Cornell senior is a three-time All-American, two-time NCAA champion, and enters the tournament as the undefeated No. 1 seed.

 

The 184 weight class has been my personal favorite all season long. Not only do both of last year's finalists return but also both of 2016's 174-pound finalists, Myles Martin and Bo Nickal, moved up a weight, adding to an already crowded field. 

 

Despite a bracket overflowing with talent, Dean has firmly established himself as the man to beat. He hasn't lost in over a year, riding a 39-match winning streak into St. Louis.

 

We will check out Dean and any title contenders next, followed by dark horses and a full set of predictions and analysis (2017 NCAA tournament seeds in parentheses). 

 

Title Contenders

 

(1) Gabe Dean, Cornell

(2) Bo Nickal, Penn State

 

For a ridiculously deep weight class, our list of contenders is pretty skimpy. No disrespect intended to any of the other 184-pounders, but in my opinion this is Dean's title to lose.

 

I made an exception for Bo Nickal because of his unique style and ability. No one throws a greater variety of attacks at a more furious pace than Bo. From low ankle picks to double overhook trips, Nickal doesn't let up until the clock runs down to zero. It's that high-risk, high-reward repertoire of moves and commitment to go for broke at any and all times that makes me believe Nickal might stand a chance of slaying a giant like Dean. 

 

One could make an argument for including Ohio State's Myles Martin, who recently beat Nickal in the Big Ten tournament and was last year's 174 national champion. However, Iowa's Sammy Brooks also majored Martin in the finals of that same tournament. Several other quality wrestlers can make similar arguments, but ultimately I don't think they are at Dean's level or possess Nickal's X-factor.

 

Dark Horses

 

(13) Bryce Carr, Chattanooga 

(14) Dakota Geer, Edinboro

(US) Nick Gravina, Rutgers

 

Chattanooga's 15th-ranked Bryce Carr is having a very impressive redshirt freshman year in a tough weight class. He won the Southern Conference Championship in a year when the conference earned three NCAA bids at 184.

 

Dakota Geer is another 184 freshman who has impressed this season. The 14th-ranked Geer just won the EWL, competing for the Edinboro Fighting Scots, and will be a handful for anyone he sees in the tournament.

 

Rutgers junior Nick Gravina apparently qualified for the NCAAs while wrestling in the Big Ten tournament with a dislocated his shoulder. If his body allows him, the 16th-ranked Scarlet Knight could terrorize the bracket with vicious shrugs and an indefatigable gas tank. 

 

Upset Special

 

Besides our dark horses, keep an eye out for Ville Heino of Campbell. One of two Finnish brothers, (yes, that Finland, the land of Finns), Heino has quietly creeping up the rankings and sits at No. 17 in the Flo Top 20. North Carolina State's 11th-ranked Michael Macchiavello is not going to go down without a fight, but you can bet Campbell head coach Cary Kolat will have Heino prepared for the possible upset. 

 

Spey's Spredictions

 

Gabe Dean, CornellBo Nickal, Penn StateSammy Brooks, IowaJack Dechow, Old DominionMyles Martin, Ohio StateZach Zavatsky, Virginia TechTJ Dudley, NebraskaNolan Boyd, Oklahoma StateAs impressive as Gabe Dean is, I don't think he is going to saunter into the finals after a slew of first-period pins. I expect Jordan Ellingwood, Jack Dechow, and Zach Zavatsky to give him a decent go in the middle three rounds of the tournament. That said, Dean will lay waste to all who oppose him. He will crush his enemies, see them driven from the land, and hear the lamentation of the women. 

 

Sitting at a perfect 30-0 on the year, Dean also leads all Division I wrestlers with 17 pins. Were I voting for the Hodge Trophy award, it would go to Dean (assuming he wins the NCAA, not quite fait accompli).

 

In the finals, I will be rooting for Bo Nickal to give Dean all he can handle and more. And while I expect Nickal to put forth his maximum effort, alas, he is no Reed Richards, and he is not beating Galactus. 

 

______________________________

 

In case you missed it a few days ago...

 

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For those of you that have a Flo membership or ESPN recordings, check this Georgia boy out from small town Carrollton that began his SE domination in eighth grade and looks to be a very strong freshman...

 

174: (4) Zach Epperly, Christiansburg HS Virginia Tech vs (13) Taylor Lujan, Carrollton Ga HS, Northern Iowa

 

Their first one was an early match of the year candidate at their dual in Cedar Falls.

 

http://www.flowrestling.org/article/53409-best-round-2-matches-of-the-2017-ncaa-tournament#.WMvq6mlOnqA

 

____________________________

 

Some of you may remember HofF Tom Drake...

 

http://www.postandcourier.com/sports/wrestling-lawmaker-tom-drake-left-lasting-legacy/article_0a082ff2-0024-11e7-b225-f7041f0e2fc2.html

 

Drake was a star high school athlete in his home state and a collegiate standout at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga where he was a three-time Southern Conference wrestling champion and a heralded football player. But his accolades and achievements didn’t stop there.

 

A small-college All-American guard, the multi-talented Drake was the first player in the history of UT-Chattanooga to be selected to play in two college all-star games (Senior Bowl and Blue-Gray Game), and the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers made him a draft pick on the strength of stellar showings in those all-star games. In 1952 he received the Templeton Trophy for the “Best All-Around Athlete†at Chattanooga for his accomplishments in football, wrestling and track.

 

Drake qualified for the 1952 Southern Olympic finals in wrestling and advanced to the U.S. Olympic finals in Ames, Iowa. He never, though, relinquished his dream of becoming a pro wrestler.

 

While in Chattanooga he met up with a 168-pounder named Eddie Gossett (later more famously known as Eddie Graham)

Edited by Sommers
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Hey...Sommers.....

 

http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/sports/college/collins-hill-s-russell-becomes-gwinnett-s-second-ncaa-division/article_8cdffb10-0c56-11e7-be7c-a70eba7f8452.html

 

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – For the second day in a row, Collins Hill grad Sean Russell rode a big third period to an even bigger victory.

On Saturday morning at the Scottrade Center, it came in the seventh place match at the 2017 NCAA Division I National Championships. The end result was a 10-3 decision for Russell over Campbell's Nathan Kraisser to become Gwinnett’s second wrestler ever to earn NCAA Division I All-American honors — Ryan Millhof, also a Collins Hill grad, was the first last year.

Russell, a redshirt sophomore at Edinboro (Pa.), ended up wrestling exactly to his seed, as he came in seeded seventh. The redshirt sophomore finished 5-2 in his second trip to NCAAs, battling back to earn All-American honors for the first time after a second-round loss. He ended the year with a 37-8 record.

 

Russell never trailed in his match with Kraisser, the 16th seed, but the match was tight for two periods. Russell opened the scoring with a takedown with 1:13 left in the first period. A Kraisser escape made it 2-1 after one period, and another just over 30 seconds into the second period knotted the match at 2-2.

Russell grabbed the lead for good at 4-2 with his second takedown with 35 seconds remaining in the period. An escape with 1:32 left in the third period made it 5-2. Russell would add two takedowns in the final 40 seconds and had riding time for the 10-3 final score.

The win marked the second time Russell defeated Kraisser this year. He won a 6-5 decision at the Southern Scuffle.

Russell opened his NCAA bracket with a 21-3, technical-fall win over George Mason’s Ibrahim Bunduka in the first round. He lost a 5-2 decision to 10th-seeded Jack Mueller of Virginia in the second round, then reeled off three straight consolation round victories over Wisconsin’s Johnny Jimenez (4-2), Wyoming’s Drew Templeman (5-2) and North Carolina’s Sean Fausz (8-2).

He fell to Oklahoma State’s Nick Piccininni, the No. 8 seed, 6-4 in the consolation fifth round, sending him to the seventh-place match against Kraisser.

 
 
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Yeah, Ross, can you name all the GA kids at NCAA's?

 

Russell Edinboro (125lb)

Bullard NC STATE (157lb)

Austin Trott Gardner Webb (?)

Jason Grimes American (weight class?)

Ryan Millhoff ASU (133lb) was doing well at UofO

 

Who am I missing?

 

Some bigger boys

Edited by Sommers
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Yeah, Ross, can you name all the GA kids at NCAA's?

 

Russell Edinboro (125lb)

Bullard NC STATE (157lb)

Austin Trott Gardner Webb (?)

Jason Grimes American (weight class?)

Ryan Millhoff ASU (133lb) was doing well at UofO

 

Who am I missing?

 

Some bigger boys

So. Sean Russell (Edinboro)

Sr. Jason Grimes (American)

Sr. Ryan Mosley (Gardner-Webb)

Fr. Thomas Bullard (NC State)

Sr. Austin Trott (Gardner-Webb)

RFr. Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa)

Jr. Bryce Carr (Chattanooga)

Sr. Hunter Gamble (Gardner-Webb)

 

*Millhof sat out season and has transferred to Arizona State.

Edited by RMC
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Nice!! Seems like there was one or two big boys, but maybe they're red sitting

 

The WPIAL all-star team will take on a Georgia all-star team as this year's undercard. How prestigious is the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic? Nine of this year's 10 NCAA champions wrestled in the classic while in high school. 

 

http://www.flowrestling.org/article/53613-nhsca-nationals-pittsburgh-wrestling-classic-live-this-weekend#.WNHwEGlOnqA

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Sharp shooter remnants & a couple of others recognized...

 

http://www.thedailyjournal.com/story/sports/2017/03/22/wrestling-daily-journal-all-stars/99129086/

 

WRESTLING: Daily Journal All-Stars

 

JOSH FRIEDMAN | @JFriedman57Updated 19 hours ago

 

 

First Team

 

106: Danial Martini, St. Augustine – The sophomore closed his second season 25-14, won a District 32 championship and placed fifth at the Region 8 Tournament. Martini lost 10 bouts to NJSIAA grapplers, seven of those were to wrestlers that made states and the other three were to region quarterfinalists.

 



 

Jake Maxwell

 

Justin Odendhal/Staff Photograph

 

113: John Patterson, Delsea – The sophomore moved up one spot on the District 31 podium, falling to Highland’s Seth Henry, the fifth-place finisher in the state, in the title bout. Patterson ended his campaign with a 27-11 record.

 

WRESTLING: Delsea is the Wrestling Team of the Year

 

120: Edison Echevarria, Delsea – The junior was South Jersey’s top placewinner at states in the weight class, taking fourth overall. Echevarria, who ended the season with a 40-8 mark, won his first district championship and captured his second consecutive region crown. His only losses came to state qualifiers.

 

WRESTLING NOTES: Region final changed Delsea's Echevarria

 

126: Connor Kraus, St. Augustine – The sophomore earned his first district championship, placed second at Region 8 and reached states for the first time. Kraus’ trip to Atlantic City included heartbreak though, as he lost his first-round matchup in the final 10 seconds. He finished the season with a 31-8 record.

 

132: Steven Schwab, St. Augustine – The junior worked through injuries to make states for the first time in his career. Schwab finished the year 19-11, took second at districts, third at regions and reached the second round of wrestlebacks at states.

 

138: Brett Bodnar, St. Augustine – The sophomore made major strides this season, improving from 16-19 to 24-16. Bodnar also won his first district title and advanced to Atlantic City.

 

WRESTLING: Delsea's Janzer is Wrestler of the Year

 

145: Tim Suter, Buena – The senior missed more than a month of the season for personal reasons, but came back strong for the individual portion of the campaign. Suter, who went 19-5 on the year, won his second consecutive district title and reached Boardwalk Hall for the second straight season. Suter also won his 100th career match in the region semifinals and captured his first victory at states.

 

152: Dillon Taylor, St. Augustine – The senior capped his career with a victory, earning seventh place in the state with a 3-2 triumph over Montville Township’s Dominic Fano. Taylor eclipsed the 100-win plateau during the regular season, then proceeded to earn his third straight district championship and his first region title. He finished with a 33-9 mark.

 

WRESTLING: Prep's Taylor pursues Navy SEAL dreams

 

160: Jake Maxwell, Buena – South Jersey’s top finisher at states at the weight, the senior garnered sixth place for the second time in his career. Maxwell, who finished 42-4, also picked up his 100th career win, his third consecutive district title and his first region crown during the season. His Region 8 championship was the first in his family’s history. His father and two uncles all had second-place efforts, as did Jake as a sophomore.

 

WRESTLING: Buena's Maxwell breaks curse with title

 

170: Bill Janzer, Delsea – The Daily Journal’s Wrestler of the Year.

 

WRESTLING: Delsea's Janzer wins state title

 

182: Vince DeGeorge, Delsea – The senior reached states for the first time and won his first bout at Boardwalk Hall. DeGeorge ended his year with a 35-10 mark and took second at both the District 31 and Region 8 tournaments to Pinelands’ Christopher Nielsen, who finished eighth in Atlantic City.

 

195: Sean Lenzsch, St. Augustine – The junior made his first year at the Prep a memorable one after transferring from Mainland in the offseason. Lenzsch not only reached Atlantic City for the first time, but he got all the way to the semifinals before finishing in sixth place. Lenzsch produced a 21-9 record, took second at District 32 and third at Region 8 as well.

 

WRESTLING NOTEBOOK: Lenzsch gives Prep big boost

 

220: Ryan Lynd, St. Augustine – The senior fell short of his goal of reaching states, but still had a strong season. Lynd finished 32-8, was a win away from placing at Beast of the East and took second at District 32.

 

285: Bryce Dunn, Cumberland – A back injury kept the junior out a month, but Dunn responded by pinning seven straight opponents when he returned, including all three at the District 32 tournament, which resulted in the Colts’ first champion since 2012. Dunn then qualified for the state tournament, where he reached the second round of wrestlebacks. He ended the year with a 16-6 record.

 

WRESTLING NOTES: Dunn eyes title after back injury

 

Second Team

 

106: Matthew Clemens, Millville; 113: Connor Forand, Millville; 120: Junior LaPortez, Buena; 126: Tim Spatola; Delsea; 132: Chris LaPortez, Buena; 138: Nick Bennett, Delsea; 145: Salvatore Manera, St. Augustine; 152: Yusuf Yilmaz, Vineland; 160: Mason Maxwell, Delsea; 170: Aaron White, Buena; 182: Connor Murray, St. Augustine; 195: Tommy Maxwell, Delsea; 220: Justin Moore, Delsea; 285: Malcolm Henry, Delsea.

 

Honorable Mention

 

Vineland: Jon Morris; Millville: Jose Santiago, Alejandro Romero, Dequan Maven; Buena: Bobby Leek, Jaden Roberts, Ricky King; Delsea: Seth Summers; St. Augustine: George Coleman; Schalick: Curtis Thomas, Ryan Fairman.

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More Glasser Coverage...

 

In his time at the Lovett School in Atlanta, wrestling teams coached by Jim Glasser won 13 state championships.

 

There was one championship trophy, though, that was ripped from his grasp, a situation the competitive Glasser handled as a professional and with dignity.

 

"In the championship finals, one of his guys was competing and the opponent was penalized for stalling as the match ended," recalled former McCallie teammate Luther Killian. "I was there and saw it.

 

"When Jim went to the table to check, the tournament director — and coach of the team they were battling for the championship — erased something from the score sheet and said that Lovett had lost the match. A big argument followed."

 

Glasser saw the writing on the wall and told his team it had lost fair and square.

 

"That was Jim Glasser," Killian said.

 

 

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/college/story/2017/mar/24/memorial-service-saturday-atlantwrestling-gre/419331/

 

Memorial service Saturday in Atlanta for wrestling great Jim Glasser

 

March 24th, 2017by Ward Gossettin Sports - CollegeRead Time: 2 mins.

 

A memorial service for Glasser, who died on March 9 at age 68, is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday at Lovett's Glover Gym. It will be followed by a reception at the wrestling room named in Glasser's honor.

 

Glasser created a legacy in Georgia wrestling circles: a .939 dual-meet winning percentage and a record of 751-48-2 with 56 state champions and 16 undefeated seasons. He is a member of the Georgia chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

 

Yet Glasser also left his mark on Chattanooga wrestling, first as a Mid-South winner and two-time national prep champion at McCallie and then as a leader on some of Jim Morgan's early teams at the University of Chattanooga and then UTC. He graduated from McCallie in 1967 and from UTC in 1972.

 

"As a teammate, he was definitely somebody I could look up to as far as having that competitive spirit," recalled Killian, who also served as a Glasser assistant for five years before returning to McCallie. "He was fun-loving away from competition, very congenial. He had a lot of natural ability. but he also worked hard at it and he was a great team leader."

 

Killian fondly recalled the time working with Glasser.

 

"There was an incredible wealth of wrestling knowledge, but he probably taught me more of how to be a coach than anybody else, and I've been associated with a lot of credible coaches," he said. "He made you feel important when talking with you, and he had the ability to do that with any person he talked with — to make them feel valued and appreciated. That was the way he dealt with people."

 

The arrival of Glasser and Randy Faires coincided almost directly with the beginning of the legendary Morgan's college coaching career.

 

"We went from famine to feast," Morgan recalled of a team that included Glasser and Faires, who both transferred after starting their college careers at Oklahoma State, along with the likes of Vic Hood, Kenny Mara, Buddy Martin and Boofer Wilkey.

 

The time was a series heyday for the wrestling Mocs, who at the time were competing against the likes of Tennessee, Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and LSU in the Southeast Intercollegiate Wrestling Association.

 

"Jim was upbeat, a team leader. He cared about his teammates and he was an amazing athlete, as was Faires," Morgan said. "He and Faires and the others sort of wrote my history at UTC."

 

Contact Ward Gossett at [email protected] or 423-886-4765. Follow him on Twitter @wardgossett.

 

----------------

 

More GA coverage from PA...

 

Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic: Georgia's best to test WPIAL standouts...

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/hsother/2017/03/24/Pittsburgh-Wrestling-Classic-Georgia-WPIAL-all-stars/stories/201703240008

 

Susan Wentzel/Tri-State Sports & News Service

 

March 24, 2017 12:00 AM

 

By Ken Wunderley / Tri-State Sports & News Service

 

Montour senior Roman Macek attended the 2014 Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic to watch his brother Cole wrestle for the WPIAL All-Star team. Cole Macek appeared in the 195-pound bout of the preliminary match against an Oklahoma All-Star team.

 

“It was not a good result,†Roman Macek said. “Cole lost, 16-6, to his opponent and the WPIAL lost [37-10] to Oklahoma.â€

 

Roman Macek is hoping to reverse those results when he wrestles for the WPIAL All-Star team in Saturday’s preliminary match against a Georgia All-Star team at 4 p.m.

 

“I want to beat my opponent, be the outstanding wrestler, and help our team beat Georgia,†Macek said.

 

Macek (118-29), who placed third in the PIAA Class 3A tournament, will face Alexander Robles (51-11), of Northwest Whitfield High School, in the 285-pound final.

 

“I’m not familiar with Georgia wrestling, but it can’t be as strong as what we face in the WPIAL and PIAA,†Macek said. “I’m really looking forward to my bout.â€

 

Pine-Richland’s Hunter Baxter (146-28) is the only member of the WPIAL team who has made four PIAA appearances. Baxter, a Maryland recruit and two-time PIAA Class 3A placewinner, will face Davion Fairley (196-24), a Chattanooga University recruit and Georgia state champion from Union Grove High School, in the 132-pound bout.

 

“I’m very proud and honored to be chosen,†Baxter said. “I’ve been going to the Classic with my dad and his friends since I was 6 years old. I can’t express how honored I am to be a participant on the WPIAL All-Star team.â€

 

Baxter placed eighth in the state as a sophomore and fourth last year, but fell short of placing this year.

 

“I was disappointed with my performance at the state tournament,†Baxter said. “Wrestling in the Classic gives me a chance to end my high school career on a winning note.â€

 

Two members of the WPIAL team are three-time PIAA placewinners: Freedom’s Kody Komara and North Allegheny’s Jake Hinkson.

 

Komara (156-31) placed fifth in the PIAA Class 2A tournament as a sophomore and earned a bronze medal last year and this year. His opponent at 145 pounds is Ethan Phillips (178-36), a Georgia state champ from Chattahoochee High School.

 

“I’ve been attending the Classic every year since I was little,†Komara said. “It’s a great way to end my high school career. I’m really looking forward to it.â€

 

Hinkson (138-42), a Kent State recruit, placed fifth in the PIAA Class 3A as a sophomore, sixth as a junior and fourth this year. His opponent at 152 pounds is Will Britain (201-19), a Chicago recruit and Georgia state champ from Cambridge High School.

 

Greensburg Salem’s Alec Shaw (69-22) will represent the WPIAL at 170 pounds. Shaw, a sixth-place finisher at the PIAA Class 3A tournament, will face Jack Marsh (196-39), a Georgia state champ from St. Pius X High School.

 

“It will be a wonderful experience to represent the WPIAL at the Classic,†Shaw said. “It’s a tradition at Greensburg Salem. We have somebody chosen almost every year. It’s an honor to continue the tradition.â€

 

Ellwood City will be represented in the Classic for the first time, as Tyler Alberts (135-40) has been chosen at 126 pounds. Alberts, a Wheeling Jesuit recruit and seventh-place finisher in PIAA Class 2A, will face Vinnie Rosati (174-33) of Kennesaw High School.

 

“It’s awesome to be chosen,†said Alberts, who competed at 132 during the season. “I will get a 5-pound weight allowance, so I have to weigh in at 131. It will be a little tough getting down, but it shouldn’t be a problem.â€

 

The other seven members of the WPIAL team are Belle Vernon’s Jacob Dunlop at 113, Hempfield’s Vincent Distefanis (120), Kiski Area’s Joey Blumer (138), North Allegheny’s Eric Hong (160), Penn-Trafford’s Matt McGillick (182), Waynesburg’s Colin McCracken (195) and Belle Vernon’s Billy Korber (22). 

 

The WPIAL All-Star team has a combined record of 1,693-447. The Georgia team has a combined mark of 2,057-255 and 22 state titles.

 

PITTSBURGH WRESTLING CLASSIC

 

WPIAL vs. Georgia

 

113 â€” Jacob Dunlop, Belle Vernon (146-46) vs. Koby Milner, Pickens (141-15).

 

120 â€” Vincent Distefanis, Hempfield (97-32) vs. Bryce Davis, Creekview (158-7).

 

126 â€” Tyler Alberts, Ellwood City (135-40) vs. Vinnie Rosati, Kennesaw (174-33).

 

132 â€” Hunter Baxter, Pine-Richland (146-28) vs. Davion Fairley, Union Grove (196-24).

 

138 â€” Joe Blumer, Kiski Area (155-36) vs. Jake Brewer, Commerce (139-14).

 

145 â€” Kody Komara, Freedom (156-31) vs. Ethan Phillips, Chattahoochee (178-36).

 

152 â€” Jake Hinkson, North Allegheny (138-42) vs. Will Britain, Cambridge (201-19).

 

160 â€” Eric Hong, North Allegheny (164-13) vs. Owen Brown, Commerce (126-6).

 

170 â€” Alec Shaw, Greensburg Salem (69-22) vs. Jack Marsh, St. Pius X (196-39).

 

182 â€” Matt McGillick, Penn-Trafford (111-49) vs. Matthew Waddell, Gilmer (216-8).

 

195 â€” Colin McCracken, Waynesburg (147-34) vs. Constantine Gavalas, Dunwoody (148-32).

 

220 â€” Billy Korber, Belle Vernon (111-45) vs. Quinn Miller, Archer (133-11).

 

285 â€” Roman Macek, Montour (118-29) vs. Alexander Robles, Northwest Whitfield (51-11).

Edited by Sommers
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Quality loss... With some huge individual victories, including small school GA wrestlers...

 

WPIAL All-Stars 29, Georgia All-Stars 18

113 - Koby Milner, Pickens dec. Jacob Dunlop, Belle Vernon, 2-0.

120 - Vincent Distefanis, Hempfield dec. Bryce Davis, Creekview, 4-2.

126 - Tyler Alberts, Ellwood City dec. Vinnie Rosati, Kennesaw, 6-3.

132 - Davion Fairley, Union Grove dec. Hunter Baxter, Pine-Richland, 5-3.

138 - Joe Blumer, Kiski Area tech. fall Ethan Phillips, Chattahoochee, 16-1, 3:12.

145 - Kody Komara, Freedom major dec. Jake Brewer, Commerce, 14-5.

152 - Jake Hinkson, North Allegheny dec. Will Britain, Cambridge, 10-8 OT.

160 - Owen Brown, Commerce dec. Eric Hong, North Allegheny, 2-0.

170 - Alec Shaw, Greensburg Salem dec. Jack Marsh, St. Pius X, 4-2.

182 - Matthew Waddell, Gilmer dec. Matt McGillick, Penn-Trafford, 2-1.

195 - Colin McCracken, Waynesburg dec. Constantine Gavalas, Dunwoody, 7-0.

220 - Quinn Miller, Archer pinned Billy Korber, Belle Vernon, 1:50.

285 - Roman Macek, Montour tech. fall Alexander Robles, Northwest Whitfield, 19-4, 5:00.

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